Batman & Wonder Woman
by ultimo thy fiction writer
Summary: Inspired by the excellent Superman/Wonder Woman series, I decided to start this ongoing series examining what a relationship between Batman and Wonder Woman would be like. Set in the DCAU after Justice League Unlimited ended.
1. Taking Chances, Ch 1

"So, Batman, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

"Is this really the best time, Superman?"

Superman, Batman and Green Lantern were in downtown Metropolis. They had tracked down Sinestro, Bizarro, and Toyman, three of the six remaining members of the Legion of Doom that they had yet to recapture. Flash, Shayera, and Wonder Woman were in Central City battling the other three.

"This is the only way I know you won't try to leave."

Superman was in midair dodging blows from Bizarro while Batman was trying to avoid Toyman's exploding marbles. When Toyman ran out of those, he threw four innocent looking toy army men at Batman that became life-sized and attacked him.

"Fine. Go ahead."

"It's about Diana."

"What about her?"

"I really think you should reconsider your decision to just remain friends. You know she still cares about you."

"We've been through this before, Superman. It would never end well."

"And that's a good enough reason to not try and potentially miss out on something great? Green Lantern, what do you think?"

Green Lantern, AKA John Stewart, had just formed a giant machine gun with his ring and was firing it at Sinestro.

"I think we shouldn't be using our comm-links to discuss personal matters. But, having said that, I have to agree with Superman. No man on Earth could do better than Diana and you know it, Batman."

Batman had just destroyed the last of the army men with an exploding batarang and was running towards the Toyman.

"Where is this coming from?"

Superman threw Bizarro hard at Sinestro, finishing them both off.

"You know that I've always been a supporter of you and Diana giving it a shot, but I will admit that's not the only reason. You see, I asked Lois to marry me last night…and she said yes."

Batman finally got up close to Toyman, gave him a strong right hook, and knocked him out. Now that the three villains were unconscious and wrapped in chains thanks to Green Lantern's ring, the three heroes turned off their comm-links and spoke to each other face to face. Batman shook Superman's hand.

"Congratulations, Clark. I'm truly happy for both of you."

Green Lantern, surprising the other two heroes, actually gave Superman a big hug.

"John, I-"

"This is a special occasion. Don't get used to it."

"Fair enough. Guys, I've never been more in love with anyone in my life. Other than my parents, she's the only person that I feel I can be my true self around. Not Superman, not the Clark Kent who moved to Metropolis, but the Clark Kent my parents raised, who grew up on a farm in Smallville. I want that for you, Bruce, and I truly think that Diana is that person. I know you have your excuses for why you and Diana can't be together, but that's all they are, excuses. I think the real reason you won't let yourself get close to her is because you're scared. You're scared of opening yourself up, making yourself vulnerable. I know it's a big risk, but I implore you, no, I demand you take the chance. Life is too short not to take a chance on love."

Batman stood there, reflecting on everything that Superman had just said. He had crippled men for much less than the way that Superman had just spoke to him. Judging from the look on Batman's face, Green Lantern thought he may have to restrain him from attacking Superman. As angry as Batman momentarily was, he couldn't deny that Superman was right. He had never admitted it to anyone before, but the reason he decided against letting a relationship develop between him and Wonder Woman before was not because it would disrupt the team, not that he was worried about his enemies going after her (he knew that she could defeat most of them with ease), not even because she was immortal. It was because he knew that the relationship could work, that he could be truly happy with her, and that terrified him. After all, the last time he was truly happy in a relationship, she left him right after he had proposed. To open himself up again to that kind of heartache was a chance that Bruce didn't want to take, which is probably why the two women he had felt the strongest for since Andrea Beaumont, Selina Kyle and Talia Al Ghul, were two attractions that he knew would ultimately never go anywhere because they would never stray from the wrong side of the law. Diana, however, shared his sense of justice and understood the life of a crimefighter. She was a good match for him. For a long time he had thought that love and crimefighting were two mutually exclusive things, but maybe they didn't have to be. Maybe, he really could have both.

"Clark…you're absolutely right."

The jaws of both Superman and Green Lantern both dropped, but Green Lantern was able to get two words out.

"Oh, snap."

"I've been lying to myself. What you have with Lois is something I've always wanted for myself, deep down. Diana may be my one and only chance to have it. If I don't at least give her and I a chance, ultimately, I'll regret it. I know I will. I'll talk to her tonight."

Superman and Green Lantern both smiled. Shocking the other two heroes yet again, Green Lantern hugged Batman.

"Again, don't get used to it. Batman actually allowing himself to be happy? That's about as special as special occasions get."


	2. Taking Chances, Ch 2

Flash, Wonder Woman and Shayera arrived in Central City to find the entire center of town in flames, thanks to Heat Wave's gun. Killer Frost and Star Sapphire attacked any fire fighters that tried to put out the flames. Later on the Justice League would learn that a mysterious benefactor offered Heat Wave a sizable sum to burn the city down so that he or she could get the contract to rebuild. Heat Wave enlisted the help of his two former Legion of Doom pals in order to make his job easier. As soon as the Justice Leaguers arrived via Boom Tube, Flash began rescuing anyone that may have been trapped inside the burning buildings. Shayera swooped down and tried to destroy Heat Wave's gun with her mace, but Killer Frost froze her wings, which caused her to fall violently to the ground. Shayera was about to be frozen completely, but Flash shoved Killer Frost at the last second, causing her to hit Heat Wave.

"And the Flash saves the day again! You'd think I'd get tired of playing the hero by now, but you know what? I don't."

While Flash was busy gloating, he had his back to Killer Frost and didn't notice her shooting an ice blast at him. Shayera shoved him out of the way right before he was hit.

"Watch your back, hero."

Killer Frost screamed in frustration and began shooting sharp shards of ice at them.

"That was my Mickey Baby you just made me freeze! You're gonna pay for that!"

Shayera blocked the shards with her mace and Flash did the same with his speed.

"Mickey Baby? Did I miss the supervillain edition of Us Weekly?"

"Apparently. I knew that they were dating, but I guess I had forgotten. Talk about your hot and cold couples."

Shayera threw her mace into the air and came at Killer Frost with a barrage of punches. While she was distracted, Flash grabbed the mace, came at her from behind and used the mace to shock her into unconsciousness.

"Speaking of hot and cold couples, now that we've captured all of Grodd's Society members, don't you think Bats and Diana should give it another shot."

They both turned to look at Wonder Woman, who was in midair blocking blasts from Star Sapphire with her bracelets.

"I don't know, Flash. I think that ship has sailed. Batman had plenty of chances to make a move and chose to do nothing. Besides, I hear that Atom Smasher's interested."

"Atom Smasher, Splatom Splasher! You can't tell me he'd be a better match for Wonder Woman than Batman."

"Flash, you can't make someone be with you that doesn't want to be. Trust me, I know."

"Oh…sorry, Shayera. You and John will end up together someday, I'm sure of it. It's destiny, if I remember the story correctly."

Shayera, not wanting to talk anymore about her depressing love life, changed the subject back to Batman and Wonder Woman.

"Why the sudden interest in setting Batman and Diana up again?"

"Well, I've always been president of the 'Bats is Stupid for not Dating Wonder Woman' fan club. I even thought about passing out buttons. But that's not the only reason."

Flash suddenly had a grin on his face bigger than the Joker's.

"Uh oh. Is love in the air for the Scarlet Speedster?"

"Maybe. I don't know. You know ever since my crush on Fire didn't exactly pan out I've been seeing Linda Park here in Central City. I don't usually think of myself as a one woman man-"

"I don't usually think of you as an any woman man."

"But Linda's just amazing. She knows who I really am and she's completely okay with it, completely supportive. It may be too early to tell, but she could be the one."

"That's good to hear. About time one of us settled down. Well, besides J'onn, I guess. Which is still odd think about."

"Agreed. But anyway, I think Batman and Wonder Woman could be great. They both have a nobility to them. Not to mention they both kick a lot of bad guy butt."

As if on cue, Star Sapphire landed in between Flash and Shayera unconscious, having been knocked out by a punch from Wonder Woman.

"Did you two have fun talking about me?"

"Wait, what? How'd you know we-"

"You left your comm-link on, Flash. You were standing close enough to Shayera that I heard the entire conversation."

"Oh…awkward."

"Any opinions on the matter that you'd like to share, princess?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

Wonder Woman couldn't believe this was being brought up again. She had just recently accepted the fact that she and Bruce would be friends, and nothing more. She hadn't shared her frustration with anyone when Bruce had rejected her advances towards him, but it had been weighing heavily on her mind. Bruce's reasons for not desiring a relationship were simply defense mechanisms. She had seen that all along. If things ended badly and one of them did want to leave the team, there were now more than enough people to take their place, none of Bruce's enemies could kill her, and she could find ways of prolonging his life. If it came down to it, she would even find a way to make herself mortal so that she could grow old with Bruce. That's how much he meant to her. But she couldn't put her life on hold any longer. If Bruce didn't want to take a chance on love, it was time for her to give someone else that chance.

"Batman's had plenty of chances with me, and he's let all of them slip through his fingers. I won't put my life on hold for him anymore. You said Atom Smasher's interested in me?"

"Yes. I think he said he'd be at the Watchtower tonight."

"Good. I'll go talk to him. Give him a chance."

While Shayera congratulated Wonder Woman on finally moving on, Flash stood there stunned. This could possibly be Batman's one chance at true happiness. Flash had to speak to Batman right away.


	3. Taking Chances, Ch 3

Today had been a tough day at the office for Bruce Wayne. He was in the process of trying to purchase LexCorp, which was once again controlled by Mercy Graves. Negotiations were not going well. Bruce looked forward to a quick shower, dinner, and then getting in contact with Diana. Tonight was the night he was going to tell her everything about how he felt. He was ready to open himself up in a way he hadn't done in several years. When he saw Alfred as he opened the door, he looked forward to sharing the good news with him over dinner.

"Sir, you have a friend here to see you."

"Tell them to come back another time. I won't be able to entertain guests tonight."

"I didn't mean that type of friend, sir. This friend is more of the costumed variety. It's The Flash. He's waiting in the cave."

Under the circumstances, Bruce was still tempted to tell Alfred to ask him to leave, but he knew one of his teammates wouldn't visit him without good reason. Unless Flash needed something that only he could help with, he'd redirect him to one of their other fellow Justice Leaguers.

"Hey, Bats, or do you prefer Bruce when you're not wearing the costume?"

"I never 'prefer' Bats, but Bruce is fine. What can I do for you?"

"It's about Diana."

"Is she alright?"

"Well…yes and no. Is it safe to assume that you still hold a soft spot for the Amazing Amazon?"

"Maybe."

"If you really do it's time to put up or shut up, Bruce-"

"Flash."

"Cuz Diana's really great-"

"Flash."

"And if you don't act someone's gonna swoop right in and-"

"Wally!"

"Yes?"

"Tonight. I plan on talking to her tonight and getting everything out in the open."

"You…you do? Bruce, that's fantastic! Except…it may be too late."

"Too late? So she's found someone else?"

"Not yet. She'll be at the Watchtower in an hour. She's going to try to catch up with Atom Smasher. Apparently he likes her."

Bruce internally began to panic. He had never had any serious competition for her affections that he had known about.

"Maybe that's for the best. She's moving on. I have no right to blame her for that. Thanks for coming, Wally, but I have things upstairs I need to take care of. Excuse me."

Bruce began to walk towards the stairs leading back up to his living room. In the blink of an eye, Flash was standing in front of him.

"Are you serious?! The Batman, the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight-"

"I'm aware of my nicknames."

"Is gonna give up, just like that? The Batman I know never gives up on anything. Don't get me wrong, Atom Smasher's a great guy, we went bowling last Thursday, but he's no Batman. Now put on that costume, get to the Watchtower, and find Diana before you lose the best thing that's never happened to you!"

Throughout the years, Flash had definitely annoyed Batman, more times than he could count. This time, however, knack for bothering Batman was actually helpful. Flash was right. He was a fighter. If after talking to Wonder Woman she still chose to pursue a relationship with Atom Smasher, that was her choice, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't put it all on the line.

"Do you think you'd be able to distract Atom Smasher until I could find Wonder Woman?"

"Do you know who you're talking to?"

"I'll see you at the Watchtower. And, Wally, thanks."

"Don't mention it, Bruce!"

Wasting no time, Bruce was showered, fed, and in costume within twenty minutes. Soon he was in the Watchtower, the Justice League's satellite headquarters. He paced back and forth inside the conference room. He had asked Mr. Terrific to notify him via comm-link when Wonder Woman teleported in. Meanwhile, Flash had talked Atom Smasher into a game of racketball in the rec center, away from the dining hall where Wonder Woman was expecting to find him. When he heard someone walk into the room, Batman looked up, hoping it'd be Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, it was only Shayera.

"Are you alright, Batman? I've never seen you this nervous. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you nervous period."

"I'll be fine. I just need to speak with Wonder Woman about something."

Shayera quickly put two and two together and realized that only one thing could make Batman this nervous.

"Well, it's about time."

"How can you tell what I-"

"I've known you long enough to know there's only one thing that could make you act like this."

"Then you also know about Atom Smasher?"

"Yes, I told her about it. I'm sorry, but while I'm your friend, I'm also her friend, too. You've gone a long time now without making a move. I was sure you never would. But now that you finally are stepping up to the plate, I wish you luck."

Suddenly, Mr. Terrific came through on Batman's comm-link.

"Batman, she's here and headed straight towards the dining hall."

"Thank you."

"You're not going to tell me why you needed to see her, are you?"

"No."

"Didn't think so. Terrific out."

Batman next tuned his comm-link to a special frequency he shared with the Flash.

"How're things on your end?"

"Great, perfect, couldn't be better."

"You lost him, didn't you?"

"Yes. Sorry, Bats. I tried everything I could think of to get him to stay, but when that man's mind is on food, only Superman could stop him."

Batman hurried to the dining hall, with Shayera close behind him. When he walked through the entrance, he could see Wonder Woman at the other end, having just gotten her food. Batman tried his best to get to her, nearly running into Shining Knight, Steel, and Booster Gold on his way. When he thought Wonder Woman was close enough, he tried calling out to her, but it was too late. Wonder Woman had made her way to a table where Atom Smasher was sitting with Stargirl, Obsidian, and Johnny Thunderbolt.

"Hi, Atom Smasher. The seat next to you isn't taken, is it?"

"Um…no. The seat's all yours, Wonder Woman."

All Batman could do is stand there and hang his head low. Shayera put her hand on his shoulder.


	4. Taking Chances, Ch 4

"Hey, Marcus, you think Batman's gonna catch us?"

"No way, Mac. He's so busy with that Justice League of his that he don't make time for us little people no more."

These two men have just intercepted an armored car carrying several millions of dollars and are now driving away from Gotham.

"Hey, Marcus, something's blocking the road up ahead."

Before they got too close to the object, they ran over something that flattened their tires.

"Darnit! What are we gonna do, Marcus?"

"Take as much of the money as we can keep on us and get outta here."

Once they stepped out of the car, Mac noticed what they had nearly run into.

"Ain't…ain't that the Batmobile?"

"That ain't the stinkin' Batmobile. And even if it was, who cares? I don't see the Bat around anywhere, do you?"

When they went to the back of the car to unload what money they could, they were greeted by a stowaway. He was in the very back, knelt down and hunched over. After they had opened the door completely, he lifted his head.

"Surprise."

The figure leapt toward the two men, who soon discovered that they had been caught…by The Batman. He tackled both of them together, then grabbed Mac and threw him against the side of the mountain where the road was located. Marcus threw Batman off of him and started swinging, not landing a single punch.

"Why can't you just go fight aliens on Mars, or something? Ain't that what you do now?"

Batman went on the offensive and started throwing blows of his own, landing every one. Finally, with a solid left hook that caused Marcus to fall against the back door of the armored car, he was unconscious.

"All the aliens on Mars are dead."

Mac came to and charged at Batman, but Batman merely stood to the side and tripped him, causing him to knock himself out again. Batman tied the two crooks up and left them for the police, who were on their way. He jumped inside the Batmobile and was surprised to find it being lifted into the air. Within a few seconds, he was on top of the mountain and was surprised to see that it was Wonder Woman who had brought him here.

"How long were you watching?"

"Long enough to see you didn't need my help against two idiots like that."

"Well, thanks for the lift. If you'll excuse me."

Batman tried to walk past Wonder Woman and back into his car, but Wonder Woman stopped him.

"Bruce, we need to talk."

"I have patrolling to do. Batgirl and Robin are on vacation."

"I have that covered. Vigilante and Shining Knight are patrolling the city right now. I didn't want you making any excuses to leave."

Batman felt uneasy about a knight and a cowboy riding around on a flying horse watching his city, but he let it slide.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"As you know, I had dinner with Atom Smasher last night at the Watchtower."

"I…may have heard someone mention it."

"Well, after dinner, we went back to Earth and had coffee, just the two of us. Then we stopped an attempted museum robbery by The Shade. Then we went to Central Park and walked and talked for a few more hours."

"Is there a reason I need to hear this?"

"There is. This morning I called Al and told him I couldn't see him anymore."

"Why would you do that? Seems like you two had a good time."

"We did. It was a great time, actually. The most fun I've had in a while. But, the problem was, when I went home last night, I couldn't sleep. You were all that I thought about. Even though you've turned me down time after time all I could think about while I was in bed was 'Al was fun, but he's not Batman. He's not Bruce Wayne.' I've never felt this way, about anyone or anything, not even battle. If I tried to talk to any of my sisters about this, they would probably think that Circe had put another spell on me of some sort. I don't like feeling this way, but I can't change it. Hera help me, I'm in love with you, Bruce Wayne, and it's time that you knew it."

"Diana, I-"

"If you can't say it back, I understand. I just had to tell you."

No, Diana. I love you, too. For a long time now, I've been scared to admit it to myself. I don't have a good track record of maintaining relationships, of any kind. I realize now that I was pushing you away to protect myself, but I'm ready to let the walls down. I've always felt that one day I'd be alone. That eventually, Alfred would pass and I would have pushed my other allies away. They would want to establish lives for themselves and I'd still be fighting, possibly until my last breath. But after some…encouraging words from Superman I realize now that I don't want that to happen. I don't want to be alone, and I can't think of another woman I'd rather be with than you. You're strong and loving, fierce and graceful, independent and loyal. Pushing you away was foolish, I see that now. I may look back on my life and regret many things, but I don't want not giving us a chance to be one of them. No more games between us."

Diana, who was now teary-eyed, pulled Bruce close and kissed him passionately. Bruce returned it in equal measure.

"One thing, really quick. You being here doesn't have anything to do with Superman, Flash, John or Shayera, does it?"

"Uh…I promised I wouldn't say anything."

"Can't say that I'm surprised that they stuck their noses into our business."

"Please, don't be mad at them. They're our friends. They all just wanted us to be happy."

"I am happy. Truly happy for the first time in a long time."

Bruce smiled and kissed Diana again. He wasn't lying. He was happy. Happier than he ever thought he would allow himself to be again. No, his war against crime would never end, but now he had a partner that was his equal in every sense of the word. He didn't have to give up on love to carry out his mission. He could now have both.


	5. What Did You Do Today? Ch 1

Diana, wearing glasses, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and in normal civilian clothes, was sipping coffee at O'Neil's Café in Gotham City, waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. She had been waiting for twenty minutes. She didn't know if Bruce was late because of his day job or his night one, but either way she didn't mind. She knew he was an important person both in and out of costume. While a waiter walked up and refilled her coffee, Bruce walked over wearing a suit.

"Sorry I'm late."

"No problem. Boardroom or back alley?"

"Boardroom tonight. Although, with Mercy Graves, it's hard to tell the difference sometimes."

"Negotiations still not going well?"

"Better, but that's like saying that it's better to go up against Mongul than Darkseid."

"I see. I'm sure you'll wear her down eventually. What did you do today? Other than argue with Luthor's henchgirl."

"I trained three new young recruits for the team. Firestorm, Cyborg, and Static."

"It's about time we let Static in. I know you have a soft spot for him."

"I've worked with him several times, yes. He also knows who I am so I figured it was time for him to be where I could keep an eye on him."

"Firestorm was backed by Superman, right? And Cyborg was recommended by Waller?"

"Right on both accounts."

"So how did they do?"

"Well…"

_12:23 that day_

Firestorm, Cyborg, and Static are standing alongside each other in the center of the Watchtower's training room. Batman walks in and stands in front of them. Static simply nods his head at Batman, and he does the same. Firestorm and Cyborg, however, can hardly hold in their hero worship.

"Mr. Batman, I'm Firestorm, well, you probably know that, guess the flames on my head kinda give it away, but can I say what an honor it is to-"

"He gets the idea, flamebrain. I'm Cyborg, and meeting you is a dream come true, Batman."

"Hey! I was talking!"

"More like word vomiting."

"No, professor, I won't let it go. This was my moment to impress one of the world's greatest heroes and he ruined it."

"Who the heck are you talking to, Stormfire?"

"It's Firestorm, tin man!"

Static, wanting to dissolve the tension, stepped in between them, created a ball of electricity and expanded it, separating it.

"Easy, children. Don't make me put you in opposite corners. Go ahead, Batman."

"Thank you, Static. Today, we're going to practice civilian protection. While you will be facing threats, your main goal will be rescuing and ensuring the safety of bystanders. Computer, begin simulation."

Batman was teleported to the control room. The room around them changed into a battle ravaged city. Static hopped aboard his Static saucer and went to work, flying to burning buildings and rescuing people trapped inside burning buildings. Firestorm, using his atomic restructuring powers, turned falling rubble into pillows. Cyborg rushed towards and tried to stop the one responsible for all of this, Giganta, by shooting her with white sound. Giganta dodged the blasts and threw billboard signs at Cyborg and a flying Firestorm. Cyborg was hit and knocked out, but not before blasting the corner of a building on accident. Firestorm, on instinct, phased through the sign, changed the falling rubble into teddy bears, and blasted Giganta with fusion energy in her eyes, causing her to fall. Static had just put down the last of the residents of the burning building when the sign that Firestorm phased through started coming his way. It was too close and falling too fast for him to do anything but slow it down.

"This is gonna hurt."

Meanwhile, Firestorm thought he had singlehandedly saved the day.

"No need to thank me for picking up your slack, guys. Just doing my job. Static? Tin man? Where are you guys?"

Firestorm looked around and finally noticed the condition his two teammates were in.

"Oh…I messed up, didn't I?"

_O'Neil's Café in the present_

"Sounds rough, but Firestorm is fairly inexperienced, Cyborg even more so. Please tell me you gave constructive criticism."

"I thought I handled the situation pretty well."

_12:34 that day in the Watchtower's training room_

"What on Earth did you think you were doing?!"

"I saved civilians and stopped the baddie."

"The whole point in this exercise was civilian safety. Yes, you stopped Giganta, but only after she fell on top of a six-year-old girl! Maybe if you had been looking out more for your teammates, one of them could've saved her."

"Okay, that was bad and I apologize. I haven't been doing this superhero thing very long and I guess I need a little more practice working with teams while fighting giant supermodels."

"I'm sorry, too, Batman. I guess I just saw a threat and tried to neutralize it without thinking it through too much. Still getting used to this new computer brain of mine."

Firestorm and Cyborg both turned and looked at Static.

"Don't look at me. I did everything right."

"Firestorm, Cyborg, you'll both be getting individual training sessions. You need them. Static will be joining you in team exercises as well. Consider yourselves dismissed."

_O'Neil's Café in the present_

"Not the best start, but I seem to remember our first training session not going so well either."

"True, but I was hoping for better. Firestorm's been active for six months."

"Not everyone's raised on an island of warriors or been honing their mind and body to perfection since they were eight."

"You're right. Besides, Firestorm's simply too powerful not to have on the League. He could become a potential threat if left unchecked. I'll make him a team player even if it kills me."

"Does Cyborg have any prior history in the field?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. I told Waller we'd accept him as a personal favor to her.

"The Justice League giving favors to Amanda Waller. Great Hera, what's the world coming to?"

"Tell me about it. It's…eerie. So what about you? What did you do today? Didn't you train new recruits as well?"

"Yes, indeed I did."


	6. What Did You Do Today? Ch 2

"I used a slightly different approach in my training methods. I took them out in the field with me."

"Was that the wisest course of action, Diana?"

"It was my only option at that point. Everyone else was unavailable."

"Who did you take?"

"Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel's sister. I also took Jade. You know about her, right?"

"Yes, she's Obsidian's twin sister. Apparently, a few weeks ago when John used his ring to lift her out the ocean after she had fallen out of a cruise ship, her metahuman ability manifested and she completely absorbed the charge of John's ring. Not only has she internalized it, but she self-perpetuates it and can now do everything a Green Lantern can do. The League's greatest minds, myself included, tried to make sense of how it's possible, but no one's come to any conclusions."

"She seems to be taking it pretty well. Most young women her age would have a mental breakdown if their eyes, hair, and skin suddenly became green, but she doesn't seem to have let it phase her. I respect that."

"Her brother being a superhero probably helped. How did she and Mary Marvel fare in your 'training session'?"

_2:17 (Gotham time) in a cave on the Citadel's home planet_

"Wonder Woman, with all due respect, I'm not ready for this. I'm only gonna get your and Ms. Marvel's way. I should just go back to the Javelin."

"First of all, just call me Mary, and second of all, relax. I was like this the first time I rescued an alien princess from enslavement, too. You'll do fine."

"She's right, Jade. You've been practicing and there's no better time to put that practice to use than the battlefield. I'll go over mission parameters one more time. Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran has been taken captive and now works as a slave for the Citadel. Our goal is to simply find her and get her back to her planet."

"Would it be crazy for me to ask why we're getting involved in this?"

"Because the Tamaraneans have been kind to the League. They've also helped us establish relationships with other planets thanks to their linguistic assimilation abilities. Returning their princess to them is the least we can do."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask, Jade. Mary, you've seen what the princess looks like. I want you to fly over and get her on the ship as fast as you can."

"With the speed of Mercury, Wonder Woman."

"Jade, you'll be with me on the ground, distracting the guards. Let's move."

_O'Neil's Café in the present_

"Before you tell me how the battle went, I have to ask, was it tempting?"

"Was what tempting?"

"Freeing all the slaves, not just the princess?"

"I wanted nothing more than to forcibly remove each and every slave and return them to their homes, but I restrained myself. One day we'll prove that the Citadel's slaves were illegally bought and paid for, but today was not that day."

Hearing this made Bruce smile.

_2:22 (Gotham time) on agricultural field on the Citadel's home planet_

The Citadel, large, hulking brutes armed with club-like weapons, wasted no time in attacking Wonder Woman and Jade. Wonder Woman relished the combat, tripping the first warrior that came her way and then using his club against others. Jade stuck to force blasts. One warrior managed to dodge her blasts and came at her with his club. When he raised his club to strike her, almost instinctively, she formed a club of her own to defend herself. After successfully knocking her opponent out, she also formed a medieval –looking shield and began fighting with her energy-generated weapons. Meanwhile, Mary Marvel finally located Koriand'r, broke the chains that bound her, and lifted her into the air. Not quite understanding what was going, Koriand'r was kicking and screaming in a language that Mary did not understand.

"Trust me, princess. We're the good guys."

Mary flew her to where the Javelin was and placed her inside the ship.

"I'll be right back, princess. I'm just gonna go help my friends and then we'll have you home in no time. Just stay. Right there. Thank you."

Mary Marvel returned to the battlefield. By this time the slaves had been returned to their quarters and more guards had joined the fight. Wonder Woman and Jade had managed to hold their own in the beginning, but were now being outnumbered. The feeling of claustrophobia caused Jade to lose concentration, in turn causing her club and shield constructs to break. She began to get pummeled by the Citadel's clubs. Wonder Woman tried to get to her, but had too many opponents to worry about herself. Mary Marvel swooped down and started hitting the Citadel around Jade with a barrage of punches.

"I got the princess back at the ship, Wonder Woman. Let's get out of here!"

Mary grabbed Jade and took to the air. Wonder Woman quickly followed.

"Mary, please tell me you only left her outside of the ship. Or if you did let her inside that you restrained her or knocked her out."

"Uh…definitely didn't do any of that."

"Mary, she doesn't speak our language and she's never seen any member of the Justice League before in her life. For all she knows we could be worse than the Citadel."

At that very moment, Wonder Woman, Mary, and Jade witnessed the Javelin taking off and flying into space at top speed.

"Wonder Woman, I…am so sorry."

"It's fine, Mary. I just threw you both into a mission without the proper training beforehand. You've both done a great job. We can trace the Javelin anywhere in the galaxy. Starman should be flying by here soon with Captain Atom on their way back from his home planet. We'll catch a ride back with them."

Wonder Woman took a few steps away from her teammates to contact their fellow Justice Leaguers on her comm-link, giving Jade time to ask Mary Marvel a question that had been weighing heavy on her mind.

"Mary, just how many alien princesses have you rescued from enslavement before?"

"Oh, none. I just said that to make you feel better."

"Thought so."

_O'Neil's Café in the present_

"It looks like both of our training sessions ended disastrously today."

"So you haven't located the Javelin that the princess took?"

"Apparently the ship's been damaged, meaning wherever it does end up, it'll be crashing there."

"Let's hope we can locate the ship before that happens. The Tamaraneans are good people. They deserve their princess returned safe and sound and that won't be done with us sitting here."

"Not ordering anything?"

"Not when there's work to be done."

Bruce left the money for Diana's coffee on the table and the two of them suited up and headed to Metro Tower together.

**Author's Note: Hi, guys. Just wanted to take time out to thank each and every one of you that have reviewed, followed, favorited** **or added this story to your story alert subscription. I appreciate all of you. Even if you've done none of those things and are just reading it, I appreciate that as well. I've been thinking about starting a separate Justice League series set in this continuity in order to keep this series focused on the two title characters. What do you guys think? Let me know. **


	7. A Star is Born

Everything was quiet in Bludhaven, for once. No dealers trying to sell drugs to children, no thugs trying to rob hard working men and women of their well-earned money, and best of all, no superhuman fight clubs going on. Nightwing, the city's protector for the past year, was most thankful for that. He desired to stop street-level crime and leave things like Roulette's Meta-Brawls to the Justice League. Fearing he would only be seen as Batman's sidekick, he had declined Justice League membership up to this point and had chosen to move to Bludhaven to better establish an identity of his own. Somehow, though, he and Batman would always be connected.

"What in the world?!"

Suddenly, breaking his concentration, a Javelin sped through Bludhaven's skies and crashed into the center of Dixon Park.

"Duty calls."

Wasting no time, Nightwing hopped from the rooftop he was standing on and landed on his motorcycle on the street below. He was at the spot where the ship had crashed within two minutes. He expected to see Justice League members, hurt, but hopefully, alive. He was surprised to find no signs of life anywhere around the ship. No one was inside of it or around it. Then, he looked up.

"Hello, gorgeous."

Floating above Nightwing was Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran.

"Did you take a wrong turn somewhere around Uranus?"

Koriand'r suddenly became enraged and began firing green starbolts from her hands at Nightwing.

"Wait! I didn't mean that the way it sounded!"

Nightwing dodged her blasts, but just barely. He tried to calm her down, but there was no use. She didn't understand Earth's English language and didn't seem to care to find out. All she wanted was Nightwing dead. When he could see there was no reasoning with her he finally began to start using his fists. She responded by throwing him into a tree. This kind of occurrence is exactly why Nightwing preferred to stay out of Justice League business. If Batman wished to fight superhumanly strong aliens, that was his prerogative. Nightwing was not cut out for this, or at least that's what he believed. Just when Nightwing was deciding whether to soak in the pain or to let the beautiful alien pummel him some more, three figures teleported in. From the tree he could see that they were the Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and…Batman. Great. Nightwing hopped down from the tree to greet them.

"Thanks for holding her off. We'll take it from here."

"No way, Batman. This is my city. I'm a part of this. I have the bruises to show for it."

After a quick mental scan, J'onn was aware of everything that Nightwing had just experienced regarding the Tamaranean.

"Batman, from what I've just in your protégé's mind, no help from any source should be ruled out."

"Fine. Have you tried shutting down her mind?"

"Yes. However, something is protecting her from allowing me to do any more than scratch the surface."

"Then we'll need to take her down before she decides to leave the park and spread her attack to the rest of the city."

Any further conversation was interrupted by the loud thundering sound of the princess slamming Wonder Woman's body into the ground below. While the men had been speaking, Wonder Woman charged Koriand'r. She responded by firing starbolts at the Amazon, which Wonder Woman in turn blocked with her bracelets. After a few shoves, punches, and elbows to the face, Koriand'r squeezed Wonder Woman close to her, flew high into the air at supersonic speed, and then forcefully slammed her opponent into the Earth beneath her.

"Easier said than done, old man."

J'onn grabbed two park benches that had not yet been disintegrated and threw them at the Tamaranean. She easily blasted them away but it gave Batman and Nightwing the distraction they needed to hit her with electrified batarangs and birdarangs. Using his knowledge of Tamaranean physiology, Batman was then able to strike her in several of her body's natural weak spots. Nightwing also attacked her with his escrima sticks, taking note of where Batman hit her and doing likewise. J'onn also started hitting her, but would become intangible when she tried to punch back, causing her to become angry, but also, to tire out. In frustration, Koriand'r began firing wildly, nearly hitting some bystanders that had begun to gather around. In an effort to save a teenage boy, J'onn allowed himself to be hit by one of her blasts. J'onn was about to take another direct hit while he was on the ground, but a small tree knocked his opponent away. Wonder Woman was back in the game.

"Are you alright, Wonder Woman?"

"I'm fine, Batman. I'll be better once we finish this. All of you follow me."

The heroes obeyed the Amazon warrior. Before the Tamaranean could regain her composure, she found herself wrapped in Wonder Woman's lasso and ropes shot from Batman and Nightwing's grapple guns.

"Now, J'onn! Try getting through to her psychically again!"

The Martian Manhunter took advantage of Koriand'r's restraint and began to communicate with her telepathically. He was able to calm her, but when he tried to learn why she had chosen to attack the heroes, he was met with a psychic backlash that caused him to scream in pain.

"J'onn! Are you-"

"I'll be alright, Batman, and so should she now. I don't believe the princess is to blame for her outburst tonight. I sensed that she was being influenced by another. A very powerful mind."

"Grodd?"

"I don't believe so, Wonder Woman. Whoever this is, I don't believe it's someone we've ever encountered before."

While Batman and Wonder Woman were talking to J'onn, Nightwing decided to check on the orange-skinned beauty. He put his hand on her shoulder and Koriand'r responded by jumping to her feet and planting a passionate kiss on his lips. Nightwing was too dumbfounded to let himself enjoy it. After several seconds had gone by, she pulled away and began to speak.

"Sorry, Nightwing, if I caught you off guard. My race learns new languages through physical contact. I didn't have to kiss you, but that way seemed much more fun. I hope you found it pleasurable."

"I…ah…I-"

"Princess Koriand'r, allow us to take you back to our satellite and contact your parents. They will be relieved to have you home."

"I do wish to see my parents again, so, yes, I will go with you, J'onn J'onzz of Mars. But after I see my family again, I do believe I would like to return to Earth and become one of what your planet calls 'superheroes'. The life you lead seems so exciting, much better than my life back on Tamaran. Of course, I'll need a special name like all of you have. I believe I will go by Starfire while in battle. My grandfather always said I looked like a star's fire when he would watch me fly as a little girl."

Batman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter all looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Wonder Woman was the first to speak up.

"Princess, why don't we just focus on getting you back home right now."

"But if they do allow me to return? You will let me join your Justice League?"

After a few more seconds of silence, J'onn chose to speak.

"If they allow it, then we may consider it. But for now, let's get back to Watchtower."

"Oh, yes! You will not regret this decision, valiant warriors!"

J'onn motioned for her to stand close to him so that they could teleport back to Watchtower, but Starfire had one last thing she needed to do; giving Nightwing a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Nightwing. I do hope to see you again, soon."

"Yuh-yeah. Real soon."

Starfire stood close to J'onn and they teleported together. Batman had one thing he wanted to do before he and Wonder Woman returned to Watchtower.

"Nightwing, I've had some…changes in my life recently and I just thought you might like to know that…that Wonder Woman and myself…we're…"

"I'm his girlfriend."

"Wow, congrats. I'd be careful if I were you, Wonder Woman. Bruce here doesn't exactly have the best track record with women."

"Tell me about it."

"Hey!"

Nightwing gave Wonder Woman a hug.

"Good luck. Believe me, you'll need it."

Wonder Woman smiled, walked a few feet away, and then teleported. Batman was about to do the same, but Nightwing stopped him for just a second.

"So, you know, Bruce, I've been thinking. Maybe I could give the League a try. No major commitment, strictly a part-time thing."

Although he wished it were under different circumstances, if this is what it took to get his protégé to join the Justice League, he'd take it.

"Uh huh."

Batman smiled at the young man who was the closest thing to a son he had ever had, and teleported back to the Watchtower.


End file.
